Want to take a road trip? We have ideas for drives around the country. For many women, menopause comes as a relief: an end to pregnancy worries and monthly cramps, a farewell to bloodstained panties and premenstrual mood swings. Others loathe the passage. These episodes can make women in their 50s and 60s feel uncomfortable, demoralized and sometimes seriously ill. For example, hormonal changes result in an accelerated rise in LDL cholesterol in the 12 months following menopause, boosting the possibility of heart disease.
Causes of hot flushes
AARP Rewards
Cancer or cancer treatment can lower the sex hormones in the body. This can lead to hot flushes and sweats. Hot flushes are one of the most common symptoms women have when they go through the menopause. But hot flushes can also happen because of treatment for cancer. Women having a natural menopause usually find hot flushes become less frequent and less severe during the 5 years after their last period. Most women have hot flushes after breast cancer treatment because the treatment can lower sex hormone production. Research suggests that if you had hot flushes during your menopause you are more likely to have hot flushes as a side effect when you take tamoxifen as a breast cancer treatment. Tamoxifen is a type of hormone therapy. The number of hot flushes you have and their severity is about the same with tamoxifen when compared with women going through a natural menopause. If you are close to the age that you would naturally start the menopause when you have chemotherapy, you are more likely to go into the menopause and have more severe symptoms.
Sex Is 'Highly Important' Say More Than 25 Percent of Postmenopausal Women Surveyed
When a person reaches their 40s, their estrogen and progesterone levels start to dip. Eventually, menstruation will stop. When a person has not had a period for 12 months, it marks the beginning of menopause. In the United States, this occurs at an average age of Some people experience menopause early. This may be due to genetic factors, a medical condition, or some types of medical treatment. If a person undergoes surgery to remove the ovaries or the uterus, the effects will begin almost at once. Read on to learn more. During perimenopause, the hormones that are responsible for fertility and pregnancy, including estrogen , decrease. This causes changes in the blood vessels and tissues of the vagina and vulva.
How to Navigate This Online Resource. Changes at Midlife. Sexual Problems at Midlife. Causes of Sexual Problems. Effective Treatments for Sexual Problems. Frequently Asked Questions. Give Us YourFeedback. What changes should I expect? For many women, so can the regular use of long-acting vaginal moisturizers when combined with regular vaginal sexual activity.